LavixLenalee One Shots by Request!
by RoyxRizaFan
Summary: What the title says! Several LavixLenalee oneshots that were requested by the readers!
1. Introduction

.

A Collection of LavixLenalee one shots!

Your job is to request something – anything – and I'll write a one shot about it.

Request as many stories as you want.

As long as it's LavixLenalee, I have no complaints.

Genres and ratings will be at the beginning of each story.

I'll credit it you for the idea, and then I'll write what you ask for!

Please give me all of your ideas, and I promise to do my very best!


	2. Book of Lies and Heart Of Memories

** A Book of Lies and A Heart of Memories**

**Request by: Just a Realistic Dreamer**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rated: K+**

Lavi lay in his bed, watching the ceiling fan lazily as it zoomed around again and again, over and over in circles, so aimlessly, just like he went through thoughts in his mind. All he seemed to do was sit around and think, and yet he could never remember what he had been thinking about. Whatever it had been, it was important – that much he knew.

He could hear laughter coming from outside his window. He glanced through the screen once again, watching as the other exorcists enjoyed the first day of spring. They were all smiling so radiantly, running through the vibrantly green grass, and for a split second, Lavi almost wished he were out there with them. He slapped his hand to his forehead, trying to whack away the thoughts. He leapt to his feet and slammed the window shut with a bang, pulling down his blinds so that he couldn't see or hear them any longer.

Walking back to his bed, he almost tripped over one of the many books that he had lying about on his floor. Just as he was about to kick it out of the way, he realized it was his first notebook, talking about when he had first joined the Order. Intrigued, and with nothing better to do, Lavi picked up the book and lifted it open.

He sat on the edge of his bed and began to read. There was nothing in there about when he had first come or how he had met the other exorcists. It skipped right to his first mission, hardly mentioning people at all, and referring to his companions by their last names. The more he read, the more he cringed. What kind of history was this? It skipped over the best parts!

Lavi looked up from the book and stared at the fan again, recalling one of the first moments he had spent in the Order. It had been when Kanda and him had met…

…

Lavi walked aimlessly through the halls of the Order, trying to get a feel for the building. It was outrageously large, and the last thing he wanted to do was to get lost (that is, if he wasn't already).

No one else seemed to be in the halls. They must have all been eating lunch. If Lavi could find the cafeteria, he'd probably eat some, too!

At last, he spotted someone ahead of him down the hall. The person had long, straight hair and a quick, brisk walk. After a moment of observation, Lavi decided that it was a boy.

From the uniform, Lavi could tell it was another exorcist, but he hadn't met him yet. Not knowing his name, he merely called out, "Hey, you!"

The man spun around so fast that his action was a blur. He glared at Lavi as if he were his lifelong enemy as snarled. "Who the hell are you, and where do you go about calling me by my first name, huh?"

Lavi was taken aback. "Your first name?"

"Don't play dumb!" the boy snapped, storming towards him, his hand lingering on what appeared to be a sword. "Who told you? Was it General Tiedoll? It was him, wasn't it? Damn geezer never knows when to shut up-"

Lavi rolled his eye. "Look, femmi-face, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I didn't use your first name. Even if I had, I don't see what the big deal is!"

The man laughed in Lavi's face. "You're going to wish you hadn't met me, Cyclops. First you call me by my first name, and then-" He didn't bother explaining the rest. He automatically drew his sword and raised it, aiming for Lavi.

He quickly backed up, holding his hands out in front of himself. "Oi! I was just teasing, huh? Calm down!" Were all the exorcists this irritable? As if fighting akuma wasn't going to be hard enough, would he have to keep a defense against his allies, too?

"Kanda, stop!" a girl's voice cried. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the halls and a girl Lavi recognized as Lenalee Lee leapt in front of him, placing her hands on the boy's arms and pushing his sword back to his side. "Lavi's new here! Leave him alone!"

Kanda shifted his glare to Lenalee, but didn't say anything. He stared at her for a moment, finally placing his sword back to his side before casting his dark eyes upon Lavi once again. "Call me by my first name _ever again_, and I'll take your other eye." With that, he turned and stormed off in the opposite direction.

Lavi let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Man, I thought that nut was going to kill me. What is his _problem_?"

Lenalee shrugged. "He's always like that," she explained. "When I first joined, I mistook him for a woman. That didn't go well, either." She glanced over at me, her large eyes curious. "How did you learn his first name, anyway?"

"I don't even know it," Lavi defended. "I don't know what he's smoking, but it's causing him to imagine things. All I said was 'hey, you', and he goes bonkers!"

Lenalee let out a soft, musical laugh, a smile spreading across her lips. "That explains it, then! His first name is _Yuu_. ­Y-u-u!" she spelt.

Lavi smacked his forehead. "Oh! Now I get it. Though I still don't understand why he's so sensitive about it…"

She shrugged again. "Kanda has his pet peeves, and we can't do anything about them." She paused before adding, "Why were you talking to him, anyway?"

Lavi had been so distracted that he had forgotten about his quest to find the cafeteria. "Oh! I got lost on my way to lunch." He glanced at his watch. "I guess it's too late now."

"Jerry will be happy to make you something!" she reassured him. "Come on – I haven't eaten, either. We can have lunch together!"

Before Lavi could say anything, she took his hand and began pulling him after her down the hall. Her hand was small, but warm, almost as warm as her smile.

Lavi nodded as she pulled him down the hall. "All right, then! Sounds like a plan."

…

Lavi smiled gently as his memory came to an end. He shut the notebook and placed it back on the floor where he had found it. It seems that history always skipped the best moments. There was nothing he could do about that, though.

Even though the window was closed, he could still hear the laughter of the other exorcists. He wished he could join them, but was that right for a bookman? There was nothing down there for him to record. Nothing down there was needed for the books. History didn't care about what made its characters laugh and smile and cry – actions and events were all that mattered. If history wasn't interested in playing outside, then Lavi wasn't, right?

He pulled down one of the blinds to peek outside. He spotted Lenalee standing to the side, smiling as the others ran through the grass. She should be laughing just like the others. She almost looked lonely, even though so many people surrounded her.

Lavi had the sudden urge to open the window and call a greeting to her, just to make her smile. She smiled a lot when he said hi to her, and she laughed a lot at his jokes. Maybe if he just leaned out of the window and said something brief, he would be able to make her happy without joining in.

_That's insane_, he thought, stepping away from the window. _How an exorcist feels is none of my business. There is no in-between. Either I go outside, or I stay inside. The window stays closed. _

On his way back to his bed, he almost tripped over the same book. He groaned. "If you get in my way again, I'll make an exception and open the window to toss you out," he mumbled. "Stupid book."

…

"How does it taste?" Lenalee asked, leaning across the table to look at Lavi's expression. "Do you like your ice cream?"

"It's not much of a lunch, but it's good," he said with a laugh.

She took another scoop of her ice cream, though she didn't eat it. "Why did I take strawberry? I don't like strawberry."

"It's all he had left," Lavi responded, "and you said you didn't like vanilla." When she didn't say anything, Lavi laughed in shock. "You liar! You knew I didn't like strawberry, so you let me have the last of the vanilla!" He rolled his eye, digging into his ice cream with his spoon and holding it out towards Lenalee's mouth. She stared at it, not understanding. "Open up, will you?"

Hesitantly, she opened her mouth, allowing him to place the spoon inside. For some reason, her cheeks were the same color as her ice cream.

"How is it?" he asked.

She smiled at him, blushing softly. "It was delicious."

…

Lavi kicked the book out of the way as roughly as he could, and stormed to the door, muttering curses under his breath as he went, knowing that even if he knew he shouldn't go, he had no choice in the matter. No matter who he was, or what rules he was supposed to follow, he had to be with Lenalee, and that was for sure, as it always had been.

* * *

_Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I finished my first one shot, and a lot sooner than I expected. I probably won't be able to update this quickly everytime, but I'll do my very best! Once I finish a one shot, I'll email the person who requested it. _

_So, anyway, I hope that everyone liked this first chapter. Each one will be entirely different than the last, so I hope everyone will stick around and keep reading and requesting (and hopefully reviewing, too LOL)_


	3. Falling

**Falling**

**Request by: maddy midnight**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rated: T**

Lenalee crossed her fingers behind her back before stepping into the library, hoping that she wasn't going to see what she expected to.

Yet there he was, Lavi, sound asleep on the desk, open books scattered around him. She sighed heavily, walking over to him as silently as she could.

She sat down across from him, resting her chin on the table and studying his face. He seemed calm the way he breathed in and out so steadily, but the faint bags under his eyes told the truth. Lenalee frowned, wishing that he'd stop pulling these all-nighters, especially after such a long and hard mission.

Oh, that's right. They had just returned from a mission. No wonder he was locking himself up in the library again.

She reached forward hesitantly, brushing her hand through his thick read hair and readjusting his lopsided headband. He turned his head a bit and his eye flickered open slowly, peering over at her dozily.

He yawned, sitting up and stretching his arms. "Lenalee, what're you doing here so late at night?"

"It's morning, Lavi! And I could ask you the same question!" She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and shooting him a stern look.

He blinked, taken aback by her harsh tone. "Hm? What's up, Lenalee? You look frustrated about something."

She rolled her eyes, biting her lip, aggravated. "Of _course _I'm frustrated! I'm frustrated with you!"

"Me?" he asked, his voice shaking a bit under restrained laughter, as if he couldn't believe that she could ever actually be angry with him. "What'd I do?"

She reached across the table, snatching one of the books and waving it in his face. "This, Lavi! You stayed up all night _reading _again!"

His eye widened, but he quickly regained himself, shaking his head. "That's not true. I was just reading to get myself to sleep. I didn't plan on falling asleep in the library, but I was just trying to relax." He quickly scooped up his books, snatching one from Lenalee's hand, and carried the stack over to the bookshelves. Lenalee let out another exasperated sigh, noisily shoving her chair back and standing up, striding across the room to follow him.

Lavi leaned down, shoving the books back into their places. Lenalee stood above him, her arms still crossed. "Don't kid yourself, Lavi. You're not convincing either of us. I know why you fell asleep in here – it's the same after _every _mission. You keep coming in here to study up on the akuma and Noah!"

Lavi shot her an annoyed glance as he stood up and headed over to another shelf. "Well, what's so wrong with that? I'm a bookman, aren't I? I _should _be studying!"

Lenalee's eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head. "No, Lavi! You're not going to find anything new! We already know all we can about the Noah for now, and wearing yourself out like this isn't going to do you any good!"

He turned around, glanced at her worried expression, and frowned. "Stop looking at me like that, Lenalee. It's not a big deal. All I'm doing is reading." He turned and headed across the room to another shelf.

Lenalee dashed after him, pulling him to a halt by grabbing his hand. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Lavi. If you're overtired all the time, what good will you be in battle? You might catch a cold, or you might-"

"Lenalee, are you going to let me put back this book or not?"

She threw her hands in the air, thoroughly exasperated now. "Fine, go put away your precious books! Sorry for being concerned!"

Lavi pushed a ladder across the shelves, speaking as he went. "It's not that. I just want you to try and understand, all right? I'm not doing this to hurt myself. I'm doing it to help all of us. Besides, you're worrying way too much. If I were sick, I'd stay home instead of going on a mission?"

"Stay home and _read_?" she shot back sarcastically as he began to climb the ladder. He shot her a dirty look over his shoulder.

Lenalee had to restrain a laugh herself as he looked at her like that. There was just something about Lavi that always made her want to smile and laugh, no matter what the circumstance. It must have been his cheery demeanor rubbing off on her. Sometimes, it was downright impossible to resist a smile. Today she had to hold strong, though. She needed to be serious so he'd take what she was telling him to account. Otherwise he'd hurt himself, and after all he had done for her, she knew she couldn't let that happen.

She took the other ladder and pushed it so it was next to his, climbing until she was eye-to-eye with him. She decided to ignore the fact that she had to take an entire step higher than him to do this.

Lenalee kept her expression straight. "You're not listening to me."

"Of course I am. If I weren't, we wouldn't be talking."

"You're not taking in what I'm telling you."

"I am, but you're overreacting."

Lenalee leaned against the ladder, glaring over at him. "Lavi, read all you want, but get some sleep, will you? I'm sick of this."

"Quit repeating yourself, Lenalee," he snapped, suddenly annoyed himself. "You don't have much of a right to be telling me what to do when you should be in the infirmary yourself right now."

"The Matron said I could go," she reminded him. "I was only there for one night."

He cringed, turning away as he began returning the books to their places. "I don't think that's long enough. You got pretty hurt yesterday."

"Not really. I've been through worse, haven't I?"

Lavi's mouth curved into a frown. "That doesn't matter. One's just as bad as another. You're hurt either way."

Lenalee turned away, feeling her cheeks flushing a bit. "Lavi, this isn't about me, it's about-"

"Of course it is!" he snapped, finally glancing back over at her. "I've been looking up all this stuff on akuma and Noah, trying to find some clue, because I hate seeing you hurt!"

Lenalee opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She just stared at Lavi, not knowing what to do or say next. Without thinking, she leaned forward and planted her lips onto his, softly kissing him.

Lavi, as taken off guard as you probably are right now, fell backwards off of his ladder, bringing down about half the bookcase with him. Lenalee gasped, scurrying down the ladder to where he was lying on the floor, gripping his head.

She knelt next to him, placing one of her hands on his forehead. "Lavi! Are you all right? I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking-"

"I'm fine," he responded, smirking up at her. "I'm perfect."

Lenalee, still on edge, took a moment to calm down, but his smile helped, as it always did. Soon, she was smiling back at him. "You sure?"

"Positive."

Now was her chance. "So, do you promise not to stay up all night reading again?"

Lavi's smirk broadened and he rolled over, pulling Lenalee with him, so that she was underneath him and he was kissing her again.

"Sure, I won't stay up all night reading, but I can't promise that I won't pull another all-nighter!"

* * *

**Author's notes: Sorry it took so long to update! I really hope you liked it and that it was paced all right. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	4. The Stakeout

Lavi strolled down the hall, not really thinking about anything in particular when he heard a familiar voice coming from a the library. His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his favorite voice – a high, cheery sound that always put a smile on his face, no matter how down he was.

His lips were already curling up into a grin as he turned the corner, ready to sneak up on Lenalee (she fell for it every time). His plan was destroyed, though, when he stepped inside the room, and his eager, boyish grin was replaced by a dumbfounded chin-floor. Lenalee was splayed out on the ground, and none other than Lavi's closest friend, Allen, was the one on top of her.

The Stakeout

**Request by: Julye loves Lavi**

**Genre: Romance/Humor**

**Rated: T **

"So, that's how it happened," Lavi said in conclusion, his voice a frantic whisper. "What do you have to say to _that_?"

Kanda stared at Lavi, his face as hard as stone, and his fingers clutched around Mugen. "That's _it_? That's the crisis you interrupted my training session for?"

Lavi rolled his eyes. "Yu-chan, don't be a simpleton! Don't you see what an _emergency _this is?" Kanda's face didn't change, and his hand tightened around Mugen, so Lavi quickly went on to explain. "Allen and Lenalee! This is _terrible_! Do you know what happens when exorcists fall in love?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and leapt to his feet. "Che, falling in _love_. The idiot problem tripped and knocked her over. You're letting your pathetic imagination run wild. Don't you have anything better to do than spreading rumors, anyway, baka usagi?"

Lavi stepped in Kanda's way before he could leave. "Come on, Yu-chan! You're being ignorant! Relationships during war not only hold _them _back, but all of us!" Trying to convince Kanda, he added, "You wouldn't want to go on a mission with a love struck teenager, would you?"

Kanda looked off into the distance, imagining what it would be like to spend an entire train ride listening to Allen going on and on about how great his new relationship was. He shuddered, shaking the idea away.

"You're overreacting!" he shot, shoving past Lavi. "I don't have time for this! Pick on someone else!"

Just as he was about to walk back into his training room, giggling came from further down the hall. Lavi and Kanda froze at the same time, turning to look down the hall.

A sly smirk drifted onto Lavi's face. "You're about to see just how right I was, and then you'll have to eat your words."

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Like hel-"

Lenalee stumbled out of a nearby room, still laughing, her cheeks a rosy red. She walked down the hall to where Lavi and Kanda stood, waiting expectantly for an explanation, and she shot a beaming smile at them.

"You guys should have heard what Allen was just saying," she gasped between bursts of laughter. "He's a riot! He's the funniest exorcist I know!" Still giggling, she headed off down the hall, towards the Science Department.

Lavi frowned. "I thought _I _was the funniest exorcist," he whined under his breath.

"As if," Kanda scoffed.

The boys exchanged a look, and they were both thinking the same thing: Maybe this was more serious, after all.

---

"What now?" Kanda groaned.

"SH!" Lavi cried, elbowing him in the side. "This is a _stakeout_, which means we can't be heard!"

"I _know_ that!" Kanda growled. "You're the one being loud!"

"SHHHH!!!"

"If you don't shut up, I'll shove Mugen up your-"

"SHH! Lenalee's here!"

Kanda fell silent as Lenalee stepped into the small storage room and leaned against the wall, waiting. Lavi had overheard her mentioning that she was meeting Allen here the other day, and he had dragged Kanda along for his 'stakeout'. It was more like trespassing, eavesdropping, and an intrusion of personal space all at the same time, but 'stakeout' sounded a lot cooler to the boys.

Allen finally stepped into the room, shutting the door gently behind him. He smiled over at Lenalee, his hands held behind his back as he stepped over to her. Lavi saw what he was hiding before she did, and had trouble keeping his mouth shut. He bit his lip roughly.

"Here," Allen said, handing the bouquet of flowers over to her. "For what you did in the library for me the other day."

Lenalee's cheeks flushed. "Oh, Allen, thanks so much!" she cried, accepting them excitedly.

"Not a problem," he assured her, leading her out of the room.

Once the door was shut, Lavi jumped to his feet, pacing around the room to work of his contained aggravation. Kanda stood, watching him, waiting.

"Is that it?" he asked sourly after a moment.

"Is that _it_?" Lavi repeated, dumbfounded. "Remember what I saw in the library? Who knows what happened after I left that Allen had to thank her with _flowers _for! It all adds up, doesn't it? Don't deny it, Yu-chan!"

"Maybe if you stop calling me that, I won't!"

Lavi groaned, brushing a hand through his red hair. "Let's go. We need to go."

"I'm not following them, for God's sake!"

"No!" Lavi cried. "Let's go tell the man in charge of Lenalee's dates. Then we won't have to worry about any of this anymore!"

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Having Komui kill Moyashi won't do any good. Besides, I think you're overreacting."

Lavi's jaw dropped. "_Overreacting_? I found them rolling around on the floor in the library and I'm _overreacting_?"

"They weren't _rolling around_," Kanda snapped, heading for the door. "I'm not running around with you anymore. This has nothing to do with me, usagi. This is about _you _being jealous," he spat the last word, "and I am _not _getting into this bull when I have a hundred better things to do with my time!" With that, Kanda left.

"Jealous?" Lavi cried after him defensively. "Concern for a friend is different than jealousy!"

Kanda didn't respond.

---

Lavi went along with his better judgment and did not speak to Komui. Instead, he spent the rest of the week moping around, avoiding Lenalee and Allen at all cost. The last thing he wanted to do was to walk in on any of their _moments _that might send his imagination into hell.

To keep away from her, Lavi didn't eat into later than the other exorcists. By the time he ate, the cafeteria was nearly empty. No one said anything to him, and he was able to get along fine.

The only thing that bothered him was how bothered _he _was. He was, of course, concerned for Lenalee and Allen, but Kanda's words kept echoing in his head. Was he really overreacting? Was it none of his business? Should he be this upset over something that had nothing to do with him?

Unless it _did _have something to do with him.

Lavi sat alone at one of the tables again, picking at his food as his mind wandered elsewhere. He was snapped out of his daydream by the sound of that familiar voice, once again.

"Lavi!" Lenalee cried, sitting down across from him, placing her tray of food in front of her. "I haven't talked to you in, what, a week? Where have you been?"

Lavi looked up, taken aback. "Lenalee? What are you doing, eating so late?"

"I was busy helping my brother sort out some of his papers, and I wasn't able to make it down here in time," she explained.

Lavi let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good." He had been imaging something far, far worse.

Lenalee leaned forward, worry flooding her violet eyes. "Lavi, you don't seem yourself. Are you feeling all right? Usually you're really bubbly and goofy!"

Lavi backed away from her, shrugging. He concentrated on his food, avoiding her gaze. "Me, goofy? I thought Allen was the funniest exorcist." He regretted the childish words once they left his mouth, but there was no way of taking them back.

Lenalee looked at him with confusion. "Huh? Why is that bothering you?" She laughed. "Sure he is, but you're the funniest bookman! And person, in general!"

Lavi rolled his eyes. "Sure I am."

Lenalee crossed her arms. "What is _wrong _with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"Did _you_?" he mumbled, though she didn't hear.

"What?" she asked, leaning forward.

He finally looked up, and he knew he had to be honest. "Well, at least I didn't wake up in _Allen's bed_, like _you _probably did!"

Lenalee's mouth fell open and she glared at him, appalled. "Lavi!" she cried in disbelief. "How could you…why would you…what gave you that idea? I would _never_-"

"I know _all about it_," he told her, glaring right back. "I saw you two getting all cuddly on the floor in the library, and I saw him 'repay' you with _flowers_. I know everything, and I have half a mind to let your brother in on the secret!"

Lenalee's cheeks flushed and her lip began to tremble. "You've got it _all wrong_, you silly bookman! I was helping Allen clean the library and he tripped over a book and we _fell_, and to repay me for helping him, he gave me the flowers because I had mentioned how plain my room looked, and he wanted to help me decorate!" She looked to the side, avoiding Lavi's gaze. "I can't _believe _you thought that I…that we…!" She clenched her teeth together, pursing her lips.

Lavi, on the other hand, was beginning to smile. "You mean…you aren't with Allen?"

Lenalee turned back to him, and her infuriated expression wiped the growing smile right off his face. "Of _course _not! I don't like Allen that way!" Lenalee paused after saying that, but continued to study Lavi's face. He stared back, not knowing what she was thinking.

Lenalee's hand whipped across the table and Lavi braced himself for a smack (which he knew he probably deserved) but instead she grabbed his collar and pulled him forward so she could plant a kiss on his now reddening cheeks. They leaned away from each other a bit, their noses just inches away from each other's, Lavi looking beyond confused and Lenalee's usual grin finally returning to her face.

"I get it," she said, "you were _jealous_."

"Who told you that?" Lavi snapped. "Yu-chan told you?"

Her smirk only widened. "So, Kanda noticed, too? Man, you were _really _jealous!"

"I was not!"

"Don't worry, though," she said, ignoring his failing attempts to deny it. "I don't like Allen like that. There's only one person I'm interested in." She continued to smile towards him, and Lavi's cheeks reddened again.

"And who would that be?" he asked hesitantly, his playful tone creeping back into his voice.

"Kanda."

"What?"

She laughed. "Teasing!" Then she leaned forward again, and he mirrored her motion, and their lips met, and this time they didn't back away.

Until Komui came running into the cafeteria, armed and ready to kill.

_Author's notes: I hope it came out well and that you liked it! This was an interesting idea to work with, and I hope I pulled it off! _


	5. Once Upon a Time

**Once Upon a Time**

**Request by: AkaJenny1**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

Rated: T

I'd tell him bedtime stories. Once he was born, I was going to flood my son with a thousand bed times stories every night. He would grow up the same way his father did, so he would hopefully be just like his father. He'd smile like him, laugh like him, and have that same, positive attitude I envied so much.

Lavi was a bookman. His entire life consisted of telling stories. It seems that all that had happened to him had shaped him into the wonderful person he became. I wished that our son could be like him, too, so I'd share those stories with him like Lavi had with me.

I remember the first time Lavi told me one of those stories. It had been after one of those long, hard missions. The ones you put your everything into and lost anyway. I remember the hopeless feeling we had carried as we reentered the Black Order. Unable to sit still, I had rushed outside shortly after relaying the events of the mission to my brother. To my surprise, Lavi had had the same idea and was lying outside in the grass, staring up at the stars. With a sigh, I had joined him, lying by his side.

---

"It's beautiful out tonight, isn't it?" I asked conversationally. There was always a beautiful view of the stars from here. It wasn't anything new.

Lavi nodded, placing his arms behind his head. "You have no idea."

I laughed shakily. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I do! I'm lying right here!"

A smirk flickered across his face. "I know something about those stars that you don't know."

"Oh, really?" I asked sarcastically.

"Damn straight."

"Care to share it with me?"

His eye flickered over to me as he explained, "It's a little something I learned on one of my missions with the Old Panda. Before the Black Order."

"Oh. Those." I kept my gaze upward. I had never heard anything about his life before the Order. Even though he was the most social person I knew, Lavi tended to keep his past life to himself. I waited patiently for him to continue, not wanting to interrupt.

"It was one of my first missions," he told me, "from a long, long time ago. I was in this old mining town where there was this huge dig going on that I was supposed to study. Apparently, if it was finished, it was going to be a big deal."

"It was never finished, then?"

"Nope. There was a cave-in one day, and ten of the men working on it died. After that, they canceled the entire project."

My eyes grew wide and I glanced over at him. His eyes weren't as playful as before.

"It was hard, you know? I had gotten to know those guys. The Old Panda kept telling me to get over it and lectured me about not getting attached to history or whatever, but it was what one of the surviving miners told me that I remembered." He tilted his head back so he was looking at the sky again. "He said that each of those stars symbolizes those men, and everyone else who's died."

I rolled my eyes. "That was so cheesy. What an anticlimactic ending!"

He ignored my comment. "So, even though we lost some people on that mission, don't let it hurt too hard, all right?" He pointed up to the sky, smiling over at me. "They're right up there, and see how bright they're shining? They're perfectly happy."

I sat up, studying the sky closely. I wasn't sure if he was serious or not. It seemed so corny, but at the same time, after losing so many people, I wanted to believe it. After a moment, I felt an irresistible smile creeping across my face.

"You're right," I agreed, "it's even more beautiful now."

His smile broadened, and he sat up, too, his shoulder brushing against mine. "See? I told you."

It was probably the light from the stars that caused my eyes to water. I wasn't going to cry. It had just been the light. I was sure of it. Nonetheless, Lavi seemed to think I was crying, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, placing his head on top of mine. Well, maybe I was crying a little. It was nothing to get worried about, though.

But still, Lavi held me until I had stopped.

---

The second story, he told me on one of the longest train rides we had ever experienced. We sat side by side, waiting patiently for Allen and Krory to return. They had run off again to go gamble with the other passengers. I was surprised Lavi didn't join them, but I wasn't complaining.

I groaned. "What time is it?"

"You asked that two minutes ago."

I sighed. "This is _such _a long ride, though."

He laughed. "I've been on _much _longer rides before with the Old Panda, back when we used to be traveling all the time. In fact, I remember one just like this that we took on this exact same train."

"Seriously? This same one?" I wondered.

He nodded, laughing a bit. "We were headed somewhere else – somewhere even _further _– though. It's definitely the same train, though. I'm sure of it."

"Where were you headed?"

He concentrated for a second, trying to remember. "Some really poor town. Apparently, they had a new ruler and he was making a ton of new policies that we had to study or something." He shrugged. "I _think _that was it…"

I rolled my eyes. "So, you don't really remember? I thought you had super memory?"

"I do!" he defended. "It's just not working right now."

I laughed. "Uh-huh."

"I do remember the people from that town, though," he said thoughtfully. "They were a good bunch of people. They had been through a lot, but yet, they were still awfully optimistic. They were the type who threw dimes into a fountain no matter _how _old they were, thinking it would work. Always making wishes." He leaned back, yawning. "I wonder if any of them came true?"

I yawned, too, leaning my head against his shoulder. Before I had a chance to stop myself, I was out like a light, sound asleep.

---

Lavi and I sat on the shore of the beach outside the hotel we had stayed at, waiting for our train to arrive to return us from our latest mission. He was cross-legged and I was holding my legs to my chest. We both stared out over the water, watching the sun setting on its surface.

"I'm going to miss this place," I mumbled. "It's so nice…"

"Yeah, forgetting the whole part about the akumas tearing apart the city, it was pretty nice."

I glared over at him. "Oh, knock it off, smart-aleck!"

He smirked, resisting a laugh. Then he was silent as he studied the ocean waves, before commenting, "The last time I was this close to a sunset like this one – at a beach just like this – I saved a man from drowning, you know."

I looked up with a jolt. "Really? What happened?"

"Well, first of all, there was a man drowning. Secondly, I saved him."

I slapped his arm playfully. "Come on! There's got to be more to it than that!"

"I was only meant to observe, but it was one of those times when I was allowed to make an exception," he went on to explain. "I swam out there and pulled the poor guy back in. He wouldn't shut up after that, though; he was thanking me all day."

"That's a good thing, though."

"Hm. It got annoying."

I laughed. "You're bizarre, Lavi."

"I know! Isn't it great?"

Our eyes met and after a second, we burst into laugher. In the distance, I could hear our train pulling up. We leapt to our feet and, hand in hand, we made our way across the sand to the train station.

---

We stood by the window, looking out over the mountains surrounding the Order. I wiped a tear from my cheek, trying to compose myself a bit. I knew I sounded like a whiney kid, but I couldn't help but be upset. In fact, I was beside myself.

"What am I supposed to do?" I demanded. "This…I never expected this to happen. I have a job. I can't leave it to become a _mother_! Who's going to take care of the child when we're on missions? Komui's going to be _furious_!" A thousand thoughts raced through my head, and I was sure I was going to break out into another round of sobs, but I resisted the urge. I glanced over at Lavi, who was taking the news of my pregnancy silently. He was _glaring _out the window, now, as if I had said something wrong.

"What?" I asked. "Are you dreading telling Komui about this?"

He shook his head, shutting his eye and taking a deep breath before turning back to me. "That's not it."

"What is, then?" I asked. Was there another terrible part of this I had forgotten?

"Lenalee," he sighed, "you seem disgusted by all of this."

"Why shouldn't I be?" I demanded.

He shrugged, staring out of the window rather than at me. "Is it really _that _bad to be pregnant with my child?"

"Yes."

"Honestly?"

I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. Somehow, he seemed hurt by how upset I was about this. I sighed. "Lavi, maybe in a different time and place, this wouldn't be a bad thing. It could be a _great _thing. Right now, it's not going to work, though."

He smiled encouragingly at me. "We can make it work, though."

I raised an eyebrow. "How, exactly?"

He placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me to the window. "See that?" he asked.

"What? All I see is barren land."

"No! Beyond that!"

I squinted, but I couldn't see anything. "What are you _talking _about? Lavi, I'm not in the mood for games-"

"Sometimes, I'd get afraid while going on my missions with the Old Man that I didn't have a future. I was sure I was trapped in the past. When I began feeling down like that, I'd just look out the window and look at _that_, and I'd feel better immediately!"

I was completely confused now. "What…?"

"The _future_," he told me, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't you see it?"

"Of course I can't!"

"Well, sure you can't see it _precisely_, but I can see it's there, at least." He placed his hand in mine, staring out along with me. "I can see it, Lenalee. I can see our future with our child. I know it can work. Want to know why?"

I looked up at him, doubt in my voice. "Why?"

He leaned closer, so that our foreheads were touching. "Because I love you," he answered before pressing his lips to mine.

---

I was staring out the same window now, eight months into that very pregnancy. I rested my hand against my large stomach, a sad smile sweeping across my face.

"I guess I was a little uncertain at first," I said, even though I knew my son couldn't hear me, "but even if it didn't seem right, I broke the rules for you, hon. So you can live." I looked down at my stomach. "That has a story behind it. Want to hear it?"

No answer came, of course, but I went on anyway, gazing out of my window into the night. "Once upon a time, there was a young exorcist who met a handsome bookman. They used to go with her to exotic places all the time, just the two of them, and they'd have so much fun, just being together. Sure, it was all on the job, but as long as they were with one another, it didn't matter what they were doing." I took a deep breath before continuing. "He was a smart man, and that's not only because he was a bookman. He knew a lot of things that aren't in the history books that he had picked up along the way. He taught the exorcist all he knew so that she could pass on her knowledge, too.

"He taught her about the future. Even though the exorcist was scared of what awaited for her, she went forward anyway. He taught her about life, and she decided to bring her son along with her. He taught her about wishes, and she wished that the bookman could come along with them, too." Water filled my eyes for a moment, but I quickly blinked it away. Taking a moment to compose my voice, I breathed deeply before continuing. "He also taught her how to deal with losing all of that, too. He showed her something beautiful, and now she's going to show her son." I pulled the shades open completely and opened the window as wide as it would go, allowing the starlight to sprinkle into my room, shimmering against the walls. I looked up in the sky, looking for the brightest one. I was sure that that would be Lavi.

"He's right up there, and see how bright he's shining? He's perfectly happy. Even though, on one of those special missions the bookman and exorcist went on together, he didn't get to return, he got to go to an even _better _place. You never would think there would be a better place, but if there ever were to be one, then there is no one more deserving than Lavi, the bookman, to be the one to go there. Even though it's hard to be left behind, you have to think of what's best."

After every mission, Lavi and I would go down into that field and watch the stars, and it was always to beautiful that it would bring tears to our eyes and we would stare, mesmerized for hours. Tonight, though, the stars were a thousand times brighter, and this time, it was so beautiful, it knocked her breath right out of me, making it impossible for me to finish the story.

Every story begins 'Once Upon a Time', but not every story ends 'Happily Ever After'. That doesn't mean that it wasn't a wonderful story, though. If I were given the chance, I wouldn't change a thing.


	6. A Little Bit of Suffering

**A Little bit of Suffering**

**Request by: The Light's Refrain**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rated: K+**

"Lavi," a voice called. Lavi winced at the loud sound, wondering where it was coming from. He tried to reach to cover his ears, but his arms were too heavy. Someone began shaking him, and his name was repeating. "Lavi!"

His eyes finally flickered open to reveal Lenalee leaned over him, smiling, but seeming nervous.

"Lenalee?" Lavi sat up, but only to feel his head spinning out of control. The world seemed to be tilted, and the colors blended together a bit. "Ugh, did I hit my head?"

Lenalee placed her hands on his shoulders, pressing him back down against the pillows. "Lavi, you need to rest. You've caught a bad cold on your trip with Bookman."

"Trip…?" Lavi thought for a moment before remembering. It had been in a small, desolate town. He remembered the desperate looks in the poor peoples' faces before shuddering and turning back to Lenalee, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, placing a cold cloth onto his forehead.

"Do you remember?" she asked nervously.

"Sure, sure; I remember," he quickly assured her. "My memory is one thing that can never be penetrated, no matter how much I get knocked around."

Lenalee laughed softly, smiling but still looking concerned as the door to the infirmary opened and in flooded all the other exorcists, noisily rushing over to greet Lavi.

"You were gone _forever_!" Allen cried as he rushed over to the bed, beaming excitedly.

"Yeah, it was nice. Why'd you have to come back?" Kanda snapped.

Lavi smirked. "Hey, guys."

Miranda stepped forward, holding up a book. "I thought you might want to read."

Kanda rolled his eyes. "The man's got a splitting head ache – like hell he wants to read."

Lavi accepted the book, still smiling. "Um, I'll read it once my head stop acting up. I'm sure I'll be looking for something to keep me busy in no time at all."

"So? How did you get sick?" Allen wondered. "You've never gotten sick before on your missions, have you?"

"Not really." Lavi leaned back against his pillow, thinking back again. "Well, there wasn't any good medicine or anything there, so it was easy to get sick. Besides, almost everyone there had _something _wrong with their health." His smile vanished, though the others, too caught up in their curiosity, didn't even notice.

"Here, have another pillow," Krory offered, taking a pillow off of a nearby bed.

"Way to just steal someone else's pillow for Lavi."

"Lavi's more important!"

The exorcists all began laughing, but Lavi quickly said, "I'm not that important. I mean, in the full scale of things, I'm just-"

"Here." Lenalee pulled at Lavi so he sat up, and slipped the pillow underneath his head. "Better?"

"Um, yeah, I guess, but as I was saying-"

"We missed you while you were gone," Allen went on. "Without you, it was so-"

"Quiet," Kanda finished abruptly. "Almost _silent_. So next time, take Moyashi with you, too."

"I wish I could go," Allen commented thoughtfully. "It looks like so much fun, traveling everywhere and meeting all those great people!"

"It's not that great."

Lenalee raised an eyebrow, noticing Lavi's repetitive negative behavior. The others carried on regardless.

"So, was it beautiful out there?" Miranda asked dreamily.

Lavi shook his head. "It was very barren. Kind of desolate."

"Did anything exciting happen?" Krory demanded, pulling up a chair.

Lavi thought before shaking his head again. "No, not really. The people were nice to talk to and stuff, though."

Allen grinned. "Were there lots of them?"

Kanda grunted, "He already said it was _desolate_, idiot."

Allen shot him an annoyed look, but Lavi answered before he could start a fight. "No. There were even less people by the time I left."

"They moved?"

"No, they-"

"Why did you have to go there if it was so empty?" Kanda grumbled, even though he looked like he didn't want to be there.

Lavi opened his mouth to answered, but had to think for a moment before saying, "Well, the sickness that was spreading through there was historical, I guess. It might be, at least. It's worth recording…" His voice trailed off, and he found he was unable to say anything more.

"Sickness? Is that what you have?"

"No. I had enough medicine and protection to keep myself healthy. I just didn't have enough to spread around." He frowned. If had one wish, it would have been that he could have helped the people there. They had all been so welcoming and kind – so friendly and inviting – even though Lavi and bookman had just come to watch them _die_. That's how Lavi had looked at it, at least.

Noticing the change in Lavi's expression, Allen said, "It looks like you're tired. We'll go and come back tomorrow."

"Thanks." Lavi smiled at Allen appreciatively as he and the other exorcists, except for Lenalee, filed out of the room.

"Are you going?" he asked.

She shook her head, looking even more concerned than before. "You look miserable."

"Well, I _am _sick."

"Not because of that." She took Krory's seat, moving close to his bed. "What's wrong? Did something happen while you were gone?"

"Just what I said," he told her, looking away uncertainly. "Everyone there was dying."

"There's nothing you could have done about it," she reminded him.

"I felt terrible just sitting there and watching them die," he complained. "I tried to give them some of my supplies, but Gramps stopped me. Apparently I'm not supposed to 'alter history'. He said that 'if their people were meant to parish, than I shouldn't get in fate's way'. How crazy is _that_?"

Lenalee looked down at her lap, shrugging lightly. "Perhaps he was a little bit right."

Lavi's mouth fell open and he stared at her in disbelief. "What are you _talking _about? It's never okay to sit by and watch people _die_-"

"It wasn't up to you to save them."

"It's never up to anyone to save _anything_, but we do anyway, don't we?"

Lenalee sighed, reaching out and placing her hand over Lavi's. "I'm not trying to say it's okay. I'm just saying that you shouldn't blame it on yourself."

"I can't help it, though! I mean, look at me!" He held out a hand, gesturing to the room around him. "I've got a tiny head cold and everyone rushes to my aid, and I've got a million people worried about me and are doing whatever they can to help me and all that. The people in that town didn't have _anyone _that wanted to help them. They didn't have an infirmary or friends or anything."

Lenalee looked away, not really knowing what to say. It was silent for a moment, and they sat thinking about the town, unspeaking.

"Isn't there _anything _we can do?" Lavi asked after a moment.

Lenalee shook her head slowly. "The Black Order is only meant to protect the world from akuma – not _sickness_."

Lavi sighed, sitting up again. "I just can't sit here and let everyone take care of me. Not after seeing that. I'll fend for myself, like them-"

Lenalee took his shoulders and pushed him back down again, this time keeping her hands on him to make sure he didn't make another attempt to sit up. "Lavi, if you have people who can help you, you should take advantage of it."

"It isn't fair, though."

"What's not fair is you taking the burden for everything," she argued. "I don't want you to make yourself feel worse over this."

"I can't get them out of my mind, though," he groaned, placing his arm over his eyes.

Lenalee released him, leaning back again. "I don't really know what to say, Lavi. I understand how you feel, and I would, too. You can't take all of the burden onto yourself, though. You can't hurt yourself just because you know other people are hurting. Not when you have so many people who want you to recover. You have a job to do, too, you know. You save tons of people everyday," she reminded him. "And unless you get better soon, all those other people who are depending on you are going to get let down."

Lenalee pushed back her chair, standing up and leaving, flicking off the light as she went. Lavi looked up just before she shut the door. "Thanks, Lenalee."

She smiled over at him before shutting the door and vanishing from view.


	7. Little Secret

**Little Secret**

**Request by: Shahar Mystral**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rated: T**

"Lavi! Wake up!"

Lavi groaned, rolling over and yanking his pillow over his head. He heard someone sigh, but was too tired to care.

"Come on!" Someone took hold of his shoulders and began to shake him violently, but he simply swatted away their hands.

Another sighcame, and suddenly the mattress was being pushed upward and he was rolling off, onto the ground, falling into a clump along with his sheets.

"I'm up! I'm up!" he cried, yanking himself free of the blankets' grips and sitting up, opening his eye to see Lenalee standing, in her pajamas, next to the bed, placing back down the mattress, seeming pleased that she had been able to wake him. Lavi leaned against the wall, waiting for his senses to return to him. "What's all the ruckus about so early in the morning…?"

Lenalee laughed lightly, walking around the bed to take seat on its opposite side, near where Lavi was. "Don't you remember, silly? We're on a _mission_!"

"Oh, yeah. That." Lavi yawned, standing up, lifting the blankets with him. "I guess I forgot I was on one, with last night and all."

Lavi tossed the sheets onto the bed, not bothering to put them back in place, and was about to head towards the bathroom when Lenalee caught his arm, pulling him back.

"What?" he asked, stopping to turning back at her. "Do you want to start back where we left off last night?" he asked with a devilish grin.

Lenalee blushed, shaking her head roughly. "Lavi! Quit it for one second! I want to ask you a serious question!"

Lavi sighed, plopping down next to her on the bed, biting his tongue to hold back the thousands of sarcastic responses he had to that.

"What is it?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

Lenalee reached forward, brushing her fingers over the right side of his face. He cringed a bit, watching her hand as closely as he could (considering the angle). He seemed to become uneasy as her fingertips crossed over his eye patch.

"You never take this off," she commented. "Not last night. Not when you sleep. Do you keep it on _all the time_?"

"Pretty much," he muttered. "I mean, when I'm alone, I take it off. Otherwise I don't. No one needs to see that."

She raised an eyebrow. "See what?"

Lavi laughed in disbelief. "So _that's _what this is about. Well, it doesn't matter. It was years ago."

"I want to know!" she cried, pulling him back down when he tried to stand up. "Come on, Lavi. If you can't tell me something as simple as this, you can't tell me anything! I promise not to tell anyone! If this is going to work, you're going to have to trust me!"

"Pushy, aren't we?" he teased, though he sat back down. "It's no a big deal."

"Lavi!"

"Okay, okay." He laughed, looking off as he recalled how he had come to get the eye patch. "Well, one day, I went to the store, and I asked if they had any eye patches-"

"I mean _why_ you gotyour eye patch!" Lenalee snapped, resisting a laugh so he'd take her seriously.

"Oh! _Why_!" he laughed, ignoring her pout. He smiled a moment before becoming serious. "I was six when it happened. I was shot in the eye by a stray bullet."

Lenalee gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Lavi! That had to hurt!"

"Obviously." He shook his head and shot her a smile as he watched her expression become terrified. "At the time, it seemed like the worst pain possible. At this point, that seems like nothing, really. Not after all we've been through. Besides, I kind of like the eye patch. It's sexy, right?"

Lenalee smiled, easing down a bit. She continued to smile at him, but he stared at her as if he were expecting her to say something.

"What?" she asked after a moment.

The corner of Lavi's mouth twitched as he resisted a grin. "You never answered my question."

Lenalee laughed, breaking the awkward moment, and took his hands, leaping to her feet and pulling him with her. "Oh _course _I do!"

"That's more like it." Lavi smiled back at her, tilting his head towards the bathroom. He leaned down, planting a quick kiss on her lips before asking, "Can I go now? We need to get ready, right? You were the one who was so anxious to get up this morning."

Lenalee released his hands, still grinning. "Thanks for telling me the truth."

Lavi walked into the bathroom without another word, walking to the sink to brush his teeth. He glanced in the mirror as he lifted his toothbrush, closely examining the eye patch with a thoughtful look on his face.

He brushed his fingers over it, staring deeply into his reflection, all trace of a smile wiped from his face.

After a moment, he began to nod in approval. "Yep, she was right. No worries – I am a sexy beast in an eye patch."

_Author's notes: Yes, Lavi, you are. So much that you have no idea LOL_

_It seems that I am done with all the current requests! Which means I need some new ones ASAP! I don't care if you've already requested one – go ahead and ask for another one. Even if it's totally different than everything I've written so far, go for it! I'm up for a challenge!_

_Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll drop me a review (and hopefully any random request you can think of)_


	8. Petals Like Falling Tears

**Petals Falling Like Tears**

**Request by: Just a Realistic Dreamer**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rated: T**

It had been one of the most terrifying things I had ever had to do – even through her comatose state, I'm sure she had felt the hammering of my heart. I had never felt such a fear before, despite all I had gone through, simply because it was her, Lenalee Lee, that beautiful exorcist with that encouraging smile that magically sent a grin across my face, even through the hardest of circumstances. To feel her dying in my arms had truly sent my mind racing, and I was thinking a thousand things at once – flashbacks to the present battle, ideas of how to help her regain consciousness, and the creeping sensation as I thought of what life would be like if I weren't able to see her – but somehow, my strong instincts of saving her had broken through all those thoughts, making it so I was able to bring her back safely.

Or so I hoped.

I had carried her bleeding, shaking body off of the battlefield, staggering under her weight and under the influence of all of my injuries. Somehow, even though I was severely hurt myself, my determination surpassed my wounds. I was successful in carrying her to help, though I could hardly remember anything besides that overwhelming fear I had experienced as I did so.

Perhaps in situations like that, the heart is able to control the body and mind. I had never allowed my heart to function on its own, without the body and mind leading it before. It wasn't as if Lenalee had snuck up on me, though – my feelings for her had been gradual. I had known about them for a while. The Old Man, on the other hand, had not.

By this point, Lenalee was safely in the infirmary. I was on my way to go buy her some flowers – I couldn't go visit her empty handed – but Gramps caught sight of me, and demanded to know where I was going.

"I'm going to go buy Lenalee some flowers," I answered honestly, trying to sound casual.

He frowned. "We have a lot of work to do. That can wait until later."

"The _paperwork _can wait," I corrected. "She can't."

Something must have seeped through my voice because I could see it in his eyes that he knew what was in my heart as clearly as I did – I cringed, waiting for his response. The silence dragged out for a moment before he responded, "If you don't do it now, it might not be here when you come back." In other words, if I didn't finish my job now, I'd never have one to do again. I had to choose between Lavi the bookman and Lavi the exorcist.

I ran out of that building without a second thought, images of Lenalee flashing through my mind. Her laugh, her smile, the way she blushed when I held her hand – that was so much more real to me than scribbles in a notebook. I could see Lenalee, I could touch her – she could keep me company from this day on. My words couldn't do any of that. Since I had felt true emotion, they had no longer been able to reach me.

Of course, I was as unlucky as to go to a flower shop that was out of the violets I wanted. It seemed silly for me to run all over town looking for them, but I wanted some flowers that matched her lovely eyes. If I was going to confess to her, I needed some leverage.

Two hours had passed by the time I returned to the Black Order, running up the stairs as fast as I could to her room. I burst in, knowing I had to give this my all – she was all I had left now, and if I messed this up, I had nothing.

"Lenalee," I called gently, rushing to her bed, dragging a chair up to its side. She was lying with her eyes shut, still seeming slightly unconscious. She had a dozen tubes hooked up to her, and her breathing was a lot softer than before. Nonetheless, it was Lenalee – my Lenalee – and no matter how weak she was, or what state she was in, she looked gorgeous to me. I took her hand, stroking it gently to capture her attention. Her eyelids flickered, as if fighting to open, but she remained in a sleep like state.

"Hey," I murmured. "I brought you some flowers. I chose violent because it reminded me of you."

A small smile crept across her face, and I could tell she was acknowledging what I was saying. I returned the smile, though she couldn't see it.

"I'm so happy that you're doing so well," I told her sincerely. "I was so worried the other day…I felt like…like I had lost you." I took a breath, not wanting my voice to waver. "It was hard to think that you might be gone, and that I'd never see you again. It was almost unbearable, but we got through it anyway, huh?" I gave her hand a squeeze, hoping she'd be able to respond.

Her smiled widened a bit. "Thanks for saving me the other day," she said in a nearly inaudible voice. "I thought I was a lost cause, too, until I heard your voice – that's when I knew I had to hold on. I feel the same way. I couldn't allow myself to leave, because I'd miss you, too."

I felt my heart rate picking up again, thundering against my chest. "Really?"

She smiled, nodding. "Now, because of you, I have the whole rest of my life to live. We can go through it all, together."

I nodded, though she couldn't see it, feeling my eyes beginning to water a bit – there was a feeling of exhilarating joy welling up inside of me that was beginning to take over.

"I love you," she finally confessed, using all her strength to grip onto my hand. _She loves me! _ "I love you so much, Allen."

The entire world seemed to freeze over. My beating heart ceased to move – my flushed cheeks turned ice cold – and my warm hand, gripping hers so tightly, slipped away as I pushed back my chair, standing robotically, though I wasn't sure where I was going. My whole mind was a blur of a thousand thoughts – how I had given up everything for nothing – how the one person I had ever felt anything for didn't return those feelings, even after all of this – I felt like everything inside of me was going to explode.

Feeling like my composure was almost gone for good – like it had been slipping since I had met her – I gripped onto the last bit I had of self-control, placing a tight lid over my emotions, bottling them up once again.

Emotions were such pesky things. They only got in the way of getting a job done.

On my way out, I tore a single petal off of the flowers I had bought her, pushing into my pocket so I'd remember this moment if I ever did something stupid like falling in love again.

_She loves me not_.


	9. A Note From the Author

Hello all!

I know it's been a while since I've updated, and I'm sorry for not writing this sooner, but I will not be continuing this story. I guess that's obvious at this point, since I haven't updated in several months, but I've fallen out of love with the pairing. I feel that if I write anymore, all the stories will end like the last chapter did, and I don't think that I should put out fan fiction that will not be enjoyable for anyone.

I'm sorry that I will not be continuing this, but thank you all for the support you gave me while I was writing it, and I hope you can understand.

Many thanks,

RoyxRizaFan


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